Memories
by LNHWrites
Summary: A brief One-shot set after "Mother? I'm at La Mirage," in which Liam seeks Fallon out after something sparks his memory. (Trying not to be too spoilery in the description, haha!) This is a quick little "hello" to those who've been waiting on chapters for my other stories, and something written to be sweet, somewhat fluffy fun.


**Hello, everyone! I'd be cheeky and ask if you missed me, but considering how long it's been, I know that's hardly appropriate. I'm currently working on chapters for my other stories, but you know that moment when life just gets so crazy that you can't be creative? That's what the past few months have been for me, and I'm trying to find that muse again. So I apologize if this isn't up to my usual standard. This is just an idea I had after the last episode. So this is set post-"Mother? I'm at La Mirage," which aired last Friday on November 8. Just a quick one-shot of what I'm sure won't actually happen this week, haha. But one can dream, huh? Just don't take this one too seriously; I was in a mood. Haha!**

**Disclaimer: Still a hard nope. Me writing for this show is also a dream, not a reality.**

* * *

Liam didn't expect Fallon to answer when he knocked on the Carringtons' door, but he also hadn't expected a complete stranger to do it. Mostly, he was shocked not to see Anders or Sam. But he just smiled politely, glancing towards the stairs after the brunette opened the door.

"Can I help you?" She asked, seemingly nice enough.

"Is Fallon here?"

"Oh," another voice said suddenly, pulling Liam's attention to the person behind this new woman. "That's Liam," a young man explained.

Liam stared between the two of them, confused, but nobody answered his question. "...Fallon? Is she around?"

"She and Evan are still in bed, I think," the man offered with a shrug. "Usually she'd be downstairs eating her bacon by now, but Fallon-"

"What about me?"

Liam's eyes jumped to the top of the stairs when Fallon came around the corner, scowling at the other man. As though she suddenly felt his attention on her, she looked back at Liam in shock and confusion – which was certainly only made worse when she saw the expression on his face.

God, she was beautiful. He'd known it before, even when he didn't know anything about her. But once he'd dug through the things she'd brought over the night before, he'd had more and more flashes of little moments that he didn't fully understand. While he still thought that the content of that manuscript was confusing compared to the moments he was remembering, one thing had struck him and nagged away at him until he had finally left his apartment to come and see her: He had a right to know. And he needed to, if he wanted to make sense of everything that kept coming back to him.

So he stared up at her, trying to piece together his conflicting opinions of her. She'd gone to war against his mother, in a move that came off as both desperate and selfish, but if he looked at it from the point of view of a woman who had just lost her fiance, it wasn't impossible to see why she had gone over the top. He just wasn't pleased with how she'd gone about any of it.

"Liam?"

He took a step forward, concerned by the slight falter in her voice. "Can we talk?"

She looked off to her left, down the hallway at the top of the stairs. "I-" Her gaze turned back to him. "Now?"

Was she blushing? Why? Liam opened his mouth to say _please_, but then someone walked over to Fallon's side. The man reached towards Fallon, his face falling as she stepped away, and then locked eyes with Liam in an immediately angry, territorial way that made it extremely clear what was going on.

The woman who'd opened the door turned to who turned out to be her patient, which Liam wasn't even going to attempt a guess about, guiding him out of the room when she recognized the tension that was growing. It took Liam a moment longer to realize that his expression was likely just as angry as whoever that guy was.

Liam didn't know what to make of his own reaction, and found himself taking a step back, prompting Fallon's anxious, "Liam, wait-."

Fallon stepped around her... whatever the guy was, and started hurrying downstairs towards Liam, quite obviously pretending to be ignorant to the fact that she was being followed.

"It's fine, Fallon. You're busy, so I'll just go."

She took a last step forward to reach him, her hand settling on his arm. "Did you need something?" There was a fragile sort of worry in her eyes, but if Liam was reading her right, there was also a little bit of hope.

His eyes darted to the man now walking up behind Fallon, unsurprised when they were interrupted by him.

"I'm gonna head out."

Fallon spun around, openly flustered. "I- I'm sorry, Evan, I-"

"I know," Evan replied, nodding at Liam as he walked around them and out the front door.

Liam watched as Fallon stared after Evan, then slowly turned to look at him, her mouth already open to try and explain or apologize. "Fallon.."

"I know," she cut in quickly. "But, you're the one who told me that we both needed to move on, so I was trying to..." She sighed heavily, shaking her head. "Just... What is it, Liam? I thought you wanted us to go our separate ways. Showing up here doesn't really accomplish that."

"No, I get that. But then I looked through that box you brought by. And something- something happened. That mask? From the ball? It wasn't in the picture you showed me. But, I remembered it."

Fallon stood up straighter, her eyes widening. "Really? How much of it?"

"I remember what we said. And how I felt," he said. Fallon sucked in a surprised breath so he quickly lifted his chin. "_But_, that doesn't change the fact that I don't remember most of the time I spent with you. The thing is, I know you were trying to get me to remember. And I'm not sure if that was actually for me, or for you. But some parts of it worked. And I just... I need to know."

"Oh. Okay. Sure. What do you want to know?"

"Visual... aids, I guess, seem to work best. Maybe you could show me other places we went? Tell me what happened?"

She nodded eagerly, and decided that the best place to start was the Carrington home itself, considering he was already there. Liam followed her through the living room and over to the dining table, where she told him about the night they tricked Jeff Colby. About the multi-course meal he made her and she apparently ruined. Regretted ruining. _Right_, he thought, _the sea bass._

In the living room, she walked him over and told him to stand beneath the arch that led from the foyer to the open floor plan space. There, she told him about the prohibition party, the masquerade party, and – much to his shock and amusement – the time she literally shot a window out because she'd gotten into a fight with her mother. Who, he decided, must've been a piece of work, given Fallon's mixed feelings about the woman.

"You also," she went on, "helped me try and drug her, but we accidentally drugged my then-future brother-in-law. He's not my brother-in-law anymore, though. Sam is... well, he's still sort of family. But Steven isn't in the country anymore, and they divorced so. I guess you could say that the Carringtons are terrible as keeping people around."

Fallon pursed her lips, walking into the next room without preamble once she caught the pitying look that had worked its way onto Liam's face. He trailed behind her, finding a room with a fireplace and a piano. He came to a sudden halt as an image flashed before him: Two people sitting at the piano. Him and Fallon. Her leaning into him on the verge of tears as he held her close.

"...Liam?"

He blinked, turning his head to look at her. "You were upset." He said softly, gesturing towards the piano bench.

Her shock turned into excitement as she nodded, walking over and sitting down, reaching a hand out hopefully. Although he hesitated for a moment, he stepped over to sit beside her. But his hands settled in his lap instead of around the one she'd offered him. Fallon slowly retracted it.

"I..." She sighed heavily, her fingers brushing over the keys but not pressing down enough to play them. "We were in a fight, sort of. Not really. Um. I'd found out about your- your kid. And so much was happening that I didn't know how to process it. So I decided to tell you my own secret instead, thinking it would level the field somehow."

Liam blinked again, taken aback. Well, damn. All right, then. When he looked over at her, she looked terrified, and for a moment she was wearing something else, her hair done differently. But then she was back again. His brow furrowed. "...What was the secret?"

Fallon swallowed, looked down at her lap, and took a moment before beginning to explain about Trixie. How after she'd told him, she had taken him down to the lake, and she'd proposed. Not because of what his response was. But his reaction had certainly encouraged her to do it sooner than she'd really intended to.

"I always blamed myself, and thought that you would see it that way, too. And maybe you did. Or do, now. But... at the time, you just told me that you loved me. And that you'd always be there no matter what." Her expression turned even further down, ever sadder as she spoke. "And the next day... you were gone. Well, not _gone_. They found you-" Fallon stopped herself, her eyes widening. "Sorry. Do- Do you want me to tell you that part? We don't know all of it, but... it might not be so pleasant."

Liam couldn't help but feel guilty when she explained it all like that. Less than twenty-four hours after he'd made a promise so serious and important, she'd had to deal with the fact that he couldn't keep it. Less than a day after their engagement. No matter what he'd thought of her throughout the whole memory loss fiasco, he really felt for her, now. The woman sitting beside him had been so open about the fact that she had nobody else, really, who was there for her the way Liam apparently had been, before. He couldn't imagine losing someone like that after having felt so secure.

She was right, though. "Maybe... Maybe we can come back to that part?" He suggested, his eyebrows pulling together with anxious energy at the idea of actually remembering something like that.

"Of course," she replied gently, one hand reaching for his, barely brushing over the back before she caught herself and drew it away again. Fallon stood suddenly, walking around to stand behind him. "Let's- let's go upstairs."

Liam trailed behind her again, surprised when she stopped short on the way into the foyer.

"This," she pointed at a column, clearly standing a little taller in an effort to be more upbeat, "is the spot where your mother found us when she came to talk to us about your book."

"She read it?"

Fallon frowned. "Yeah."

He waited for more, but nothing else came. At least, not until he lifted an eyebrow and asked, "That's it?"

"Well, no. But you wanted this to be for you. So." She shifted her weight, one hand falling to her hip and gripping tightly as if she were literally holding herself back. "I'll keep some parts to myself."

Though not entirely sure he wanted to know, Liam eventually shrugged. "You may as well tell me. If I remember later on, I'll know either way, right?"

"This feels like a trap."

He shook his head. "No. I know what I said before. But don't I deserve to know what's happened? Especially if you're saying Ashley and my mom are so serious about making sure I don't?"

Fallon tilted her head slightly, but nodded. "Well... she threatened to sue Femperial over your book." When Liam opened his mouth in surprise, she held a hand up. "She didn't really go through with it. But the thing she wanted from me wasn't money. She wanted me to break up with you. And that led into a whole faking cancer scandal, which-"

"She _what?_"

"I know. You didn't believe me at first, but I convinced her to tell the truth so she wouldn't lose you entirely. I actually thought I might've done the right thing, that time, but considering all of this mess... Clearly not." She looked down at the floor for a moment before lifting an apologetic gaze back to his.

He didn't respond, and apparently stood there for too long contemplating his mother's actions – and the fact that he found himself inclined to believe Fallon without any proof – because Fallon turned and started walking up the stairs. Confused and wondering if he really wanted to keep doing this, Liam took a couple moments before calling out, "I don't know about all this."

Fallon stopped halfway up the stairs, turning slowly over her shoulder to look down at him. "That's okay," she told him. "It doesn't seem like it's working, anyway."

"Some things I've... I don't know what to call it. There's flashes. But what if it never comes back? Not all of it? Then all of your time spent on this is worth nothing."

Her eyebrows lifted a little before she nodded slowly. "Well. I wouldn't say it's worth _nothing_. I guess I saw it as me trying to be less selfish. Less... callous."

"Fallon-"

"No. I always knew I was all of the things you called me. But when you were around, I thought I was better. And if I wasn't, you were supportive anyway. Things I assumed nobody would ever like about me... you said you loved. And that's not true anymore." She swallowed, looking away. "Liam, I can't move on if you keep coming back. I've already lost Femperial, and haven't been able to get it back. I don't think I can handle that with you, too."

He didn't know what to say. She was describing the sort of relationship that he'd written about, but just hadn't been able to understand when reading it a few days earlier. The kind where the individuals who come together are both improved by being a pair. The kind where one person makes another want to be better. It was the opposite of what his parents had shown him, and the type he'd always wanted. Liam took a couple of steps forward, reaching for the banister at the bottom step.

"If you could show me one more thing... what would you pick?"

She hesitated, and Liam was pretty sure he could see her filtering through months and months of memories. Finally, she just turned and walked up the steps. He climbed the stairs after her, half wondering if he should be nervous about it.

"I just want to be clear about something," she said, spinning around in the middle of the hallway to face him. "What happened with Evan... it didn't really mean anything. It probably should have, but... Another thing you've forgotten about me is that, when I really care about someone, I don't jump into things like that. I'd rather it to be the right moment. But I only ever realized that once. I wanted it to be right for both me and... well, you."

She took a couple of steps backwards, looking around the hallway to orient herself in what she thought was the right place. Then she gestured for him to approach. Liam wasn't at all sure what she wanted to tell him about, but she was looking more and more nervous the longer it took him to reach her. So he kept moving closer until she drew in a breath and nodded.

"Okay. So." Fallon looked up at him almost shyly. "This... is where I decided that I liked you. We'd had a bad night. Everything went wrong. And I did that thing I do around you, which I apparently always have, where I tell you exactly what I mean when I know I don't have to. I don't do that with other people. But, we stopped here to talk."

Liam glanced around the hall, searching for something to trigger another one of those flashes. She sounded so genuine and vulnerable, he wanted to know what it was about this place that meant so much to her. Not just hear her say it, but _remember_ it.

"I was scared that I'd lose my brother, Steven, to my mother. And I admitted to you that most people didn't like me very much. Well, I said that people had told me I was a terrible friend." She reached up with both hands, tucking her hair behind her ears and smoothing it down behind her shoulders. "I had my hair straight, kind of like this. And a sparkly dress on. And rather than being the kind of guy that would push away concerns, as so many people in my life have been... you told me I was wrong. You said that you _saw_ _me. _Nobody else ever had. I'm not even sure anybody else even tried."

She reached a hand forward, let it hover between them, and seemingly made up her mind to take his hand. Liam looked down before lifting his eyes back up to meet hers. "This is the memory that matters most to you?"

Fallon nodded seriously. "It was the beginning, for me. I was unquestionably terrible to you. For a long time. So all those things you thought about me the other night? They're not exactly wrong. But then, after I'd do something I knew was unfair to you, I'd think back to this. Or that night at your mom's house when you told me about your dad. Or your speech at our divorce party-"

"Party?"

"Long story." Fallon smiled a little, shaking her head. "Anyway, I'd remember the moments like that and know that I was doomed. So I fought harder, until I realized that I was losing you forever. And that was completely terrifying. Because I just don't know if anybody else could ever see me like you did. Including this new version of you, ironically enough."

"...I'm sorry, Fal."

She gasped softly, earning her a concerned look that she quickly tried to explain away. "I loved it when you called me that."

"I guess I just wish it were easier to remember what it was like. If I said yes to your proposal, I must've been happy."

"I sure thought you were," she murmured. "Liam, I'm sorry I've been so pushy. You clearly didn't want it. But some part of me just... didn't know who I was without you. We've been through so much, y'know? Well... You don't know, do you?" She shrugged one shoulder. "I just miss you. But fate's fate, right? Who are we to stop it?"

His brow furrowed sharply in recognition. "What?"

Fallon actually blushed, looking down at their hands again. "You said that, before. But you didn't mean it. I understand the feeling, now." Upon hearing his guilty sigh, she offered a very fake smile. "This doesn't seem to be helping you. I probably shouldn't keep wasting your time."

"I- Right. Okay. Well. Thanks anyway, Fallon."

"Of course," she replied, stepping forward and reaching her free hand up to his shoulder as she leaned in to kiss his cheek in a sort of goodbye.

They both froze, but for very different reasons. As she slowly pulled back, thoroughly embarrassed, Liam stared at her in shock.

"Liam? I- I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"You were wearing a green dress," he said, almost like a question but more like a realization.

"Yes," Fallon gasped out.

There was another flash. Him reaching forward, drawing her in. When the memory faded away, he frowned at her. "You didn't mention what else happened here."

She drew her hand back, wrapping it around her middle. "It wasn't... That wasn't the most important part. I wouldn't have let you if you kiss me hadn't been so... You."

"This might sound crazy but... Maybe..." He trailed off, embarrassed. It was such a mad thing to consider asking someone. But what if it worked? He'd never know if he didn't just try.

Only, he didn't have to ask. She seemed to understand. "It's okay," she told him as she took a little step closer. "Just, know I love you, Liam. No matter what."

Her hand lifted to his jaw, and she brushed her thumb across his cheek as she leaned in slowly. Her lips barely met his at first, but that hesitation didn't last very long – for either of them. Liam didn't know what, exactly, it was about her. The familiarity, maybe, despite his obvious lack of understanding? Or perhaps it was the desire to understand that had him increasing the pressure and settling one hand on her back. But it wasn't until her fingers carded through his hair that he yanked back, a harsh gasp of surprise filling the gap between them.

"Are- are you okay?" Fallon asked, as affronted as she was nervous.

Liam stared at her intensely, taking in everything about her as though it were the first time he was really seeing her. "Fallon," he breathed, astonished and overwhelmed.

Her voice faltered when she spoke, offering just a whispered, "Yes?"

Everything was happening too fast. Images swept before his eyes, and he found himself reaching for her again, regretting that step he'd taken back in his initial moment of confused panic.

"Liam?" Her voice went up nearly an octave as her hands found his upper arms in response to Liam bracing himself against her hips. "What's wrong?"

There were almost too many moments to catch them all as each came up, some good, some horrible, most of which he couldn't believe he'd ever managed to forget. When he finally found himself settling back into the present, Fallon was still watching him, openly terrified. But Liam couldn't help the wide, almost painful grin that started to pull at his cheeks. He even laughed a little as she began piecing together what had happened.

"Liam..."

"You know," he mused teasingly, "you wear a lot of red."

She glanced down at her decidedly mustard yellow shirt and black trousers, but squinted up at him again. "I thought you liked red."

"Oh, I do." Liam drew one of Fallon's curls back over her shoulder, twisting it around his fingers for a moment. "But you've always looked incredible in everything." He expected a smirk, or at least a flattered smile. But, instead, Fallon started tearing up, and Liam rushed to cradle her cheek in his palm.

"I've missed you so much," she whispered, leaning forward and practically crashing into his chest as she wrapped her arms around him tightly.

He pressed his face into her hair, breathing in that rosewater scent he'd grown so familiar with. Liam had known from that first day in the hospital just how painful this all was for her. And he could admit, he hadn't been especially kind to her in his frustration and confusion. But he didn't think she would really blame him for that, looking back. They'd both been so lost.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," Liam murmured against her hair. Fallon shook against him as she cried, clinging on even tighter. "I love you. I'm sorry."

She lifted her head to kiss him fiercely, drawing out a sound of quiet approval from Liam. When she broke away, she didn't go very far; her forehead rested against his. "I love you, too."

Liam brushed at her cheeks with his thumbs as she sniffled softly, but looked past her to the staircase when he heard footsteps approaching.

"Fallon? You're crying.. Did he reject you again?"

Liam's hold on Fallon turned tense and protective. "You," he ground out, unsurprised when Adam stopped short. What was strange was the way Adam clearly hadn't noticed Liam before.

"It seems you've regained your memories."

Fallon looked between the two of them suspiciously, leaning all the most against Liam. "He has. No thanks to you and all of your meddling."

"You have no idea," Liam told her grimly. "He's the one who made it all happen to begin with."

"_What?_" Fallon tore away from Liam to storm up to her brother, and Liam could only watch as Adam stumbled backwards at the sound of her approaching footsteps. "You did this to him?! How?"

"...No comment."

Fallon shoved his shoulder hard and Adam jerked back even more, his eyes wide and scared. "You got what you deserved, didn't you?" She all but shouted at him. "Karma finally caught up to you. And you know what? You got absolutely nothing out of it."

Liam stepped forward, drawing Fallon back into his chest. "You're right, Fal. So let's just leave it for now, okay? Let him wallow in it."

Though she continued to scowl at Adam as Liam led her away towards her room, she said nothing further, choosing to follow his lead now that she finally had him back. "I hate him," she seethed after he closed her door behind them. "I don't know why you think that what happened to him is enough to make up for everything else. He got both me and Blake in trouble, you know. Blake went to jail. I was on trial without you, and-"

"I'm sorry, what?"

"About Trixie. The divers supposedly looking for your ring came back with bodies instead." Fallon paled, just shaking her head and turning away to sit on the side of her bed. "And it's also his fault that you weren't there with me."

Liam sighed, walking over to sit beside her, guiding her head onto his shoulder as he had in front of the piano. "I'm sorry. You've been through far more than anyone should ever have to. But, Fallon... it's over. I'm okay. I'm here, now. Why can't you move on from all this?" His forefinger lifted her chin to encourage her to look him in the eyes. "I know you love your dad. I get that. But what's holding you back?"

"I guess... I just don't know who I am if I'm not _Fallon Carrington_, in this big house, with this crazy family. I don't even have my company anymore..."

"So? You're always going to be Fallon Carrington. And you can get another company. One that's of your own design, that suits you, and isn't just bought because something is convenient at the time. If you just give yourself a chance, I think you'll find that you're even more capable than you've always said."

"Maybe," she mused slowly, glancing down. Her hands slid around his waist, and she tilted her head slightly. "But maybe you're right. Maybe I don't want to be a Carrington anymore."

Liam brushed his fingers through her hair a few times, somewhat surprised that she wasn't objecting to it. "Then what _do_ you want, Fal?"

Her chin lifted enough that she could kiss him briefly. "You. I know that you'd give me the time I need to find my way. Just like you always have." A smirk grew as she leaned back a little to look at him with slightly narrowed eyes. "...If I said I was open to changing my name, which of yours would I need to take?"

"Are you serious?" He asked, eyebrows lifting in shock.

"Well. Maybe a hyphenated name."

Liam chuckled, nodding. "I'll take that. But you know I wouldn't mind. And it'll take me some time to settle back into things. There's no rush on wedding plans. But I do think you should get out of this house as fast as you can."

"Fine. But we're not living in your apartment." Fallon smiled more widely at his bemused look. "I wouldn't have nearly enough room for all of my clothes. Or my hats, as you so politely pointed out, before."

"Okay. So we'll go house hunting," he agreed. "We can make it a date."

She beamed at him, then leaned backwards suddenly enough that he fell with her against the comforter of her bed, chuckling. She nuzzled into his chest, sighing contentedly. "I hope you know I'll be even more clingy than normal. For probably a very long time."

"I have zero problems with that."


End file.
